Page 164 of When In Doubt

A waiter appears, asking if we’re ready to order drinks. “We’re just waiting for one more,” Luci replies. The waiter nods and walks away, returning a few seconds later with a bottle of water and three glasses.

“Was there anything else you wanted to do around town while you’re here?” I ask Luci.

“Nothing specific. I’m happy just hanging out with you.”

“When do you have to go back?”

“My flight’s on Tuesday.”

“Do you need a ride back to the airport?”

“If that’s alright.”

“Yeah, of course.” I tug at a strand of my hair, the awkwardness settling. Usually talking to Luci is as easy as breathing, but something about this situation has the words stalling in my mouth.

I feel my face flush red as another ten minutes pass.

“Should you maybe call him?” Luci probes gently.

“I’ll send him a message. I don’t want to disturb him.”

“Freya, he’s twenty minutes late for dinner. I think you’re within your rights to disturb him.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “I know, you’re right.”

I go to Oscar’s contact and hit the call icon. It rings once before switching to voicemail. I leave a message, trying to sound relaxed.

“Hey, it’s Freya, just wanted to check in. Me and Luci are at the restaurant now, so just let us know what your ETA is.”

Luci’s watching me with a frown.

“What?” I ask.

“It only rang once.”

“So?”

“So, that means he saw you calling and rejected it.”

“Maybe he turned it off.”

She gives me a tight smile, crossing her arms on the table. “Yeah, maybe.”

“He’s probably busy. He might be on a callout or something.”

“Sure, it’s probably that.”

The waiter reappears. “Are we still expecting someone?” he asks tentatively.

“Yes?” I reply.

He sees my uncertainty. “It’s just that we do have another reservation behind you, so…” He trails off awkwardly.

“It’s fine,” Luci cuts in. “Can we get two glasses of your house red? We’ll be ready to order in just a moment.”

“Luci,” I hiss as he walks away. “I think we should⁠—”

“Freya,” she says gently. “I don’t think he’s coming.”